Thermostatic control valve



Oct. 20, 1931. J. H. KoLTs THERMOSTATIC CONTROL VALVE Filed March 24, 1928 INVENTOR er ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 2O,` 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENr olf-FICE JOHN KoLTs, OE GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA,4 AssIe'NoE To PITTSBURG WATER. HEATER COMPANY, E riTTsEuEGH, PENNSYLVANIA-A coEro-EATIoN- or NEW JERSEY" o l THEEMOSTATTG CONTROL VALVE Application mea Marche/1, 192s. seiaiNo. 264,325. i

.'Thisifinvention relates dtoVv ii'ihermosta'tic o ]3,`ig..2l; and

gif-3.()

v1n Fig. 2, but illustrating the valve and the controlvalves particularly. adapted for use, in connection with ovens or water heaters, 1n

which latter connection it will be described herebelow.'4 l

Among the primary objects of the invention are; simplicity of. construction and assemblagegpositive action; ease of initial setting; and`Y convenient 4and positive adjustment to` accommodate it to varying operat-V ving conditions.

How the foregoing, togetherrwith `other ,objects y and advantages Vare obtained will `be Clear to those skilled in the artV by a consideration ofthe following n description taken together with the accompanying` drawings which .illustrate a convenient embodiment of the invention.

A`.Of'thepdrawings:. K n Fig'. 1 is somewhat Vdiagranimatie and `vice to a water heater; i

shows the application of my improved de- Fig.: 2 is a Asectional vView through the vthermostat and valve mechanism of my inventionfthe View being taken substantially on the line 2-4-*2 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 isa cross sectional View through the valve body as indicatedby the li-ne 3 3 in Fig.:4 shows a view similar tol that shown adjusting mechanism in different positions.

Referring now `particularly to Fig. 1, the reference numeral 5I indicates a water-.heater tank, and the numeral 6 refers to my improveddevice, as a whole, which is shown as being provided withja thermostatically 'responsive element 7 extending into the tank to respond?` to the `temperature of the water therein. Gas is supplied to the valve mech- -`anism through the pipe 8 in which a stop 4cock?) is provided,a ndvthe gas is conveyed 4from'the valvemechanism tothe burner 10 zpositioned below epipe 11.'`

theitank 5 through the `recei-velfthe endsl of thepipes 8 and "11, re- 156 spectively. v4The Vinterior ofthe valvefbody -12 is. divided, byav partition-15, into two chambers 16 and17 with vwhich the connections 13 andll, respectively, communicate.

lThe partition 15 is providedwith a circular opening 18 around which a'yalveseatl l19 is iprovidedl. vThe passage ofgas fromthe chamber-16 to the chamber-17` (through the opening 18A)u `is controlled by a. circular valve 20 which is yieldingly urged toward the seat f 19 by the spring 21. The spring 21 reacts lagainst-a screw cap -22`which`is provided in the valve body to permit assembling of the valve parts asl well as Ato provide -access for inspecting, cleaning or repairing the valve parts. .f

Opposite to the cap 22 the body 12 is provided with a valve stem bearing 23' which is arranged concentrically with respect to the opening 18. A valve stem. or pin 24 extends through therbearing `23 and *is` provided with av plurality of circumferential grooves. 25 for preventing leakagethrough. the bearing 23 around the valve stem. One end of the valve stem is engaged or received-byA an. opening or pocket126formed in the valve 20, this pocket being slightly largerthan the valve Ystem so that. a loose engagement is provided ,between the valve and its stem. Thus. the `spring 21.`always accurately seats the valve when it is closed;

A bushing 27 is supported from the valve bodyby the projections or arms 28 `and is provided with yathreaded opening adapted `to vreceivethe nipple 29 by means of which V .the bushing to receive. the externally threadved end ofthe thermostatic tube orl elementi.

At its outer end the tube 7 is internally threaded to receive the threaded plug member 30 and this plug 30 is provided With an internally threaded opening adapted to receive the valve actuating rod or connection 31. The cooperating threads on the tube 7 and the outside of plug 30 have a dierent pitch than that of the cooperating threads on the rod 31 and the inside of the plug 30. They are so arranged for a reason to be noted herebeloW. v

The rod 31 extends inwardly through the tube 7 to abut against the valve stem 24 and thus serves toV transmit the movements of the outer end of the tube 7, which are caused by its expansion and contraction, to

the main or controlling valve 20. A collar 32 may be provided in the inner end of the tube for centering the rod 31" With respect thereto and a lever or pointer 33 is secured in 'the rod 31 to facilitate manual adjustment of the mechanism for various operating conditions. Y

A cylindrical'by-pass valve chamber 34 is formed in the valve body 12, the same being positioned adjacent to the partition 15. It has an opening'or port 35 at its inner end communicating With the interior of the valve body at one side of the partition 15 and a substantially radially extending port 36 through its cylindrical Wall communicating with the interior vof the body at. the other side of the partition. The cylindrical valve 37 is adapted to be inserted into the chamber 34 through its outer and open end, such end being internally threaded to receive the retaining bushing or collar 38. This collar may be rigidly secured in place by means of the nut 39. VThe valve 37 has a slotted stem 40 extending therefrom through the collar for purposes of making adjustments. A cap 41 may be provided to prevent leakage and protect the valve stem. The by-pass valve proper 37 has a central bore which is open at one end to the port 35,. `It is also provided with a port 42 adapted lto register with the port 36 in the cylindrical chamber Wall 34.

In considering the operation of my improved control device it should be borne in mindthat the burner 10 is of a type adapted to operate as a pilot as Well as a main burner and that the flow of gas through the valve mechanism by Way of the by-pass is regulated (by turning the port 42 in the valve 37 more or less into or out, of registry With the port 36) to that quantity Which is necessary forpilot purposes.

When the device is .first Yassembled an initial adjustmentof the thermostat mechanism is made. This may be accomplished in a simple and convenient manner as follovvs;` Y t The entire valve With the exception of the plug 30, being' assembled, the plug 30 s 1screwed into the threaded end of the tube 7 the threaded end of the rod 31 is started into the plug and the plug is advanced (While retaining the rod 31 against rotation With the indicating pointer 33 in the cold position, as shown in Fig. 2) until the inner end of the rod 31 approaches to Within about five one thousandths of an inch (.005) of the valve stem 24. (See 43 in F ig. 2.) The rod 31 is advanced, of course, in view of the difference of pitch of the threads on the inside `and outside of the plug 30. This adjustment When made at average atmospheric temperatures provides an operating temperature range which is suited to normal operating conditions.

It is to be understood, of course, that the service to which the device is to be put might make it desirable to adjust the valve for a different temperature range, this being accomplished by advancing or retracting the plug member 30. Furthermore, the initial or temperature range adjustment would vary where, in order to adapt the mechanism to various types of service, the expansion tube 1s made of various materials Whose coeicients of expansion differ. In any case, when the initial adjustment is made, the plug member 30 is secured as against rotation, preferably by applying the solder indicated at 44 in Fig. 2. When the mechanism is so adjusted and is applied to the Water heater (or to Whatever apparatus with which it is to be used) the rod 31 is turned, by means of the pointer 33, to set the thermostat to maintain any average Water temperature desired.

The actual mechanical operation or m'ovement of the device is quite simple and obvious, the valve 20 being gradually opened by the rod 31 as the thermostatic element cools and contracts and beingclosed by the spring 21 as the element is heated and expands. Fig. 4 shows the pointer 33 in the upper or hot position and also the valve 20 in open position.

Thus, my device, being composed of relatively few and easilv assembled parts, provides for effect-ive initial temperature range adjustment when assembling the parts, as Well as for convenient average temperature adiustment While the device is installed and in operation.

I claim 1. In a device of the character described, a valve, an internally threaded thermostatic expansion tube, an externally threaded valve operating member extending into the tube, the threads in saidy tube having a different pitch than those on said valve operating member, and an internally and externally threaded member associated with said tube and said valve operating member and cooperating With their threads to provide an adj ustment of the said operating member with respect to the said tube.

2. In a device of the character described the combination of a valve body, a valve therein, a stem engaged by said valve, a thermostatically responsive element for contro1- ling said valve secured at one end with respect to the valve body, a member adjustable with respect to the other end of said element and having a part screw threaded, and a connection member having threads engaging those of said part and extended to abut against said valve stem, together with means for manually rotating said connection mem-v ber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name. y

JOHN H. KOLTS. 

